Reporting Fundamentals

Electronic Reporting: The fastest, easiest way to report, save time, save money...report electronically! We can help you.

Multistate Reporting: Doing business with employees in more than one state? Learn about important options and how to meet your reporting requirements.

Why is new hire reporting required?
Who is required to report?
What do I have to report?
When do I have to report?
How do I report new hires?
Where do I report new hires?

Why is new hire reporting required?

In 1996, Congress enacted a law called the "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act," or PRWORA, as part of Welfare Reform. This new legislation required that employers in all 50 states directly report their new hires and re-hires to a state directory.

New hire reporting accelerates the child support income withholding order process, expedites collection of child support from parents who frequently change jobs, and promptly locates non-custodial parents to help establish paternity and child support orders. Because of this, new hire reporting is essential to helping children receive the support they deserve. Employers serve as key partners in ensuring the financial stability of many children and families, and should take pride in their integral role.

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Who is required to report?

Employers and/or labor organizations conducting business in the District of Columbia are required to report the following employees:

• New employees: Employers must report all employees who reside or work in the District of Columbia to whom they anticipate paying earnings. Employees must be reported even if they only work one day, and are terminated prior to the employer fulfilling the new hire reporting requirement.

• Re-hires or Re-called employees: Employers must report all re-hires, or employees who return to work after being laid off, furloughed, separated, granted a leave without pay, or terminated from employment after 90 days. Employers must also report any employees who remain on the payroll during a break in service or gap in pay, and then return to work after 90 days including teachers, substitutes, seasonal workers, etc.

• Temporary employees: Temporary agencies are responsible for reporting any employee who they hire to report for an assignment. Employees only need to be reported once, and do not need to be re-reported each time they are placed with a new client. However, they do need to be reported as a re-hire if the worker has a break in service, or gap in wages from your company.

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What do I have to report?

Required Employee Information:

• Employee's full name (first, middle, and last name)
• Employee's address
• Employee's Social Security Number
• Employee's state of hire (only if reporting as a Multistate employer)
• The date the employee first performed services for remuneration

Required Employer Information:

• Employer's name (please use corporate name)
• Employer's address (please provide address where Income Withholding Orders should be sent)
• Employer's Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN). If you have more than one FEIN, please make certain you use the same FEIN you use to report your quarterly wage information when reporting new hires.

Optional Employee Information:

• Employee's date of birth
• Is medical insurance coverage available to employee?
• Date on which the employee became or shall become eligible for medical insurance coverage
• Employee's salary, wages or other compensation

Optional Employer Information:

• Employer's phone number
• Employer's Contact Name
• Employer email address

For questions about Multistate employers, click here.

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When do I have to report?

District of Columbia Revised Statute 46-22.06 requires that all employers submit their new hire reports within 20 days after an employee is hired, re-hired, or returns to work. Employers who submit reports magnetically or electronically are to submit the reports in two monthly transmissions not more than sixteen days apart.

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How do I report new hires?

The District of Columbia Directory of New Hires offers many options to help make new hire reporting simple and easy for employers. The options available are listed below.

Electronic Reporting

• Online Reporting: Use this Web site to report your new hires. This is the easiest and most efficient way to report new hires! Register here and start now!
  Already registered? Log in to report your new hires over the Internet.
• Create your own Electronic New Hire Reports: Click here for detailed instructions and electronic data transmission methods for creating electronic new hire reports.

Non-Electronic Reporting

• Printed List: If your software is unable to export your new hire information in our electronic format, you might be able to have your software create a printed list containing your new hire data. The printed list should contain all of the required information on the New Hire Reporting Form, be created using at least a 10-point font size, and have the employer's name, Federal Employer Identification Number, and address clearly displayed at the top of the report.
  -OR-
• New Hire Reporting Form: (click here to download). You may download, print, fill out, and fax or mail us a New Hire Reporting Form.
  -OR-
• W-4 Form: If you choose to submit a W-4 form as a new hire report, please ensure that each W-4 is easily readable and has the employer's name, Federal Employer Identification Number, and address written at the top of each form. In addition, you must indicate the date the employee first performed services for remuneration in any available blank space on the W-4 form.

Other Reporting Methods

• Payroll Service: If you use a payroll or accounting service, consider asking the service to report your new hires for you. Leading payroll services are already electronically reporting new hires for thousands of employers.

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Where do I report new hires?

Electronic Reports - Utilizing our Web site's online reporting feature is a very popular option for employers. This feature provides printable confirmation of reports received, and is conveniently available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Employers can send new hire data files in a variety of ways, including transferring files through the Web site or through internet connection using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Employers can also mail reports directly to us on diskette. Click here to learn more about electronic reporting.

Non-Electronic Reports - Paper new hire reports may either be faxed or mailed to our Directory of New Hires.

Please call the District of Columbia Directory of New Hires toll-free at (877) 846-9523 Ext. 300 for any questions regarding the new hire reporting process. Our telephone system can help you 24 hours a day, seven days a week and help desk staff are available to answer your questions Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm District of Columbia Time.

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